Convertible headrail bracket for venetian blinds



Nov. 1, 1949 w. J. STUBER ET AL CONVERTIBLE HEAD RAIL BRACKET FORVENETIAN BLINDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5. 1946 Nov. 1, 1949 w. J. STUBER ErAl.

CONVERTIBLE HEAD RAIL BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed July 5,1946

2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Thisinvention relates Patented Nov. 1, 1949 CONVERTIBLE HEADRAIL BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Walter J. Stuber and John J. Di Ienno, Philadel-.

phia, Pa., asslgnors to Carey-McFall Company,

Philadelphia, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 5, 1946, Serial No. 681,524

1 v to brackets for supporting or hanging Venetian .blinds. Prior to the present invention it was'customary to make the brackets as "rights" and lefts" for supporting the opposite ends respectively of the head rail of a blind.

The above-noted practice entails double initial manufacturing costs, for dies and other tools and fixtures, etc., necessary for producing the different brackets. i

The above-noted practice has another disadvantage in that a packer, when assembling the parts of 'a complete blind for shipping, at times will place two rights or two lefts in the shipping carton instead of one of each, and this error may not be discovered until a person who is about to install the blind opens the shipping carton.

a Claims. (Cl. 248-264) The object of the presentinvention is to provide a single reversible bracket which may be used as either a right or a left," which will require but a single set of dies, 'etc., in manufacture and which will avoid all possibilities of error in assembling shipping.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a detached perspective view illustrating the parts of a bracket constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention as being set up for assembly as a "right end bracket;

Fig. 2 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts set up for assembly as a "left end bracket;

Fi 3 is an inside face view of the bracket assembly for a left end bracket;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 5.

The bracket of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a hanger unit A and head rail supporting unit B.

The'hanger unit A is symmetrical with respect to its horizontal axis H, as seen in Fig. 3, the portions above the axis line H being identical with the parts lying below said line, and vice versa.

The head rail supporting unit B is symmetrical with respect to its vertical axis bb, i. e., the parts lying to the opposite sides of the vertical axis line b-b, as seen in Fig, 3, are exact duplicates.

on the line 5-5,

on the line 6-8,

the parts of a complete blind for The hanger unit A comprises a body plate having a right angle flange 2 formed along its rear vertical edge 3, and an ofl'set marginal strip portion 4 formed along and adjacent its front vertical edge 5, said marginal strip 4 being offset inwardly with respect to the plane of the main portion 6 of the body plate I, at IS, in a plane parallel to said plane of said main portion 6 of the body plate I Along its opposite horizontal edges 1 and 8 respectively,and extending substantially from the rear flange 2 to the offset l6 of the front marginal edge strip 4, the main portion 6 of the body plate I is provided with opposite inturned flanges 9 and I0 respectively, which provide supporting grooves II and I2 respectively for receiving the upper and lower edges I3 and H respectively of the head rail supporting unit. B.

The unit B comprises a rectangular plate l5 of predetermined width suflicient to fit between the rear flange 2 of the unit A and the offset ii of said unit.

- Above its horizontal axis bl--bi, which coincides with the horizontal axis line 11-41 of the hanger unit A, the plate l5 is bent to form a. perpendicular flange l1 upon which the head rail C of a Venetian blind is adapted to rest.

The back flange z of the hanger unit A is provided with a plurality of holes i8, I8 to receive screws or nails by which the bracket as a whole maybe secured on the face of the trim of a window frame.

The main portion 6 of the body plate I of the hanger unit A is provided with a series of holes l9, I! on a line parallel to and spaced a predetermined distance from the back edge 3 of the plate I.

At a corresponding distance from the right side edge 20 of the plate l5 of the unit B, said plate is provided with a similar correspondingly spaced series of holes 2|, 2|. In the same relation to the vertical axis bb of the plate l5 said plate is provided with a second series of correspondingly spaced holes 22, 22 spaced a like distance inwardly from the left hand edge 23 of said plate.

In assembling a bracket for supporting the left end of a head rail of a Venetian blind, the unit A assumes the position of Fig. 2, with the horizontal edge 1 of the plate I uppermost. The plate ii of the head rail supporting unit B is flexed in the direction of its length and the top and bottom edges l3 and I4 thereof are slipped into the grooves or recesses H and I2 respectively at the top and bottom edges I and 8 of the plate I.

The plate [5 is moved laterally in the grooves ii and I2 until the holes 2i, 2! along the edge of the plate l5 align with the openings l9, I9 in the plate I. The left hand bracket is then ready for hanging by screws or nails passed through the aligned holes l9 and 2| of the plates I and I5 rmpectively, if the bracket is to be secured to the inside face of the left hand vertical rail of a window frame, or the screws or nails may be passed through the holes l8, l8 in the rear flange 2 if the bracket is to be secured to the face of the window trim.

To assemble a right hand bracket, the unit A is turned upside down about its horizontal axis a-a, bringing the horizontal edge 8 to the top and the horizontal edge I to the bottom, as shown in Fig. l.

The unit B is turned about its vertical axis bb and flexed as before noted, to fit the top edge l3 thereof into the groove l2 in the unit A and the bottom edge It into the groove ll. The plate I5 is adjusted laterally in the grooves i I and I2 until the holes 22, 22 along the left edge 23 of said plate l5 align with the holes l9, IS in the plate I of the unit A. The right hand bracket is then ready for hanging, as hereinbefore noted.

Venetian blinds are usually provided with a valance board which extends across the blind between the right and left supporting brackets and hides the head rail. The valance board usually is held in place at its opposite ends by a pair of fingers which are pivoted at their lower ends to the lower front corners of the brackets.

After the head rail is set in place on the supporting brackets, the fingers are turned down and the valance board placed horizontally on top of said fingers, whereupon the fingers are turned up and carry the valance board into a vertical position in front of the head rail. These fingers are usually held in their turned-up position by spring latches or the like.

In the present instance, the opposite ends of the valance board D are supported by socket levers 25 25 and in order to make the brackets reversible, the socket levers 25 are pivoted intermediate their opposite ends at 26, on the horizontal axes aa of the bracket units A, A; and adjacent their opposite ends the socket levers 25 are provided with holes 21, 21 which are entered by small protuberances 28, 28 pressed out of the metal of the offset marginal strips 4 of the plates I. These protuberances normally maintain the socket levers and consequently the valance board D is in a vertical position, but will yield to permit the socket levers 25 to be turned about their pivots 28 at will.

In the present instance, the socket levers 25 are of box-like construction and when swung about their pivots 26 will have one end underlying the flange IT on which the head rail C is placed, after which the socket levers are swung into their vert cal positions in front of the head rail C.

The valance board D is placed in the socket levers after the head rail has been placed on the brackets and the socket levers are swung into their vertical positions.

To slip the ends of the valance board D into the socket levers 25, 25, the board D is flexed longitudinally to draw its ends in and the ends of the board are preferably beveled at their opposite ends, as indicated at 29, 29, to facilitate the slippage of the board ends into the rectangular sockets afforded by the levers 25, 25.

If desired, the ends of the head rail C may be secured to their supporting flanges l1, l1 and for this purpose said flanges may be provided with holes 30, for screws 8|, 3! by which said head rail would be secured to said flanges.

We claim:

1. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for rightand-left pairing with a second of said brackets, means interchangeably applicable to said unit at either side of said axis for supporting one end of a Venetian blind head rail in vertically spaced relation to said axis, and means for supporting one end of a valance board pivotally mounted on said unit at said axis adjacent one edge of said unit and adapted to be swung into a plane coinciding with said axis to afford clearance for installing said head rail in position on said head rail sup- I porting means.

2. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for rightand-left pairing with a second of said brackets, a head rail supporting unit interchangeably carried by said hanger unit, said hanger unit comprising a body plate having channels spaced equidistantly from and paralleling said axis at opposite sides respectively thereof, said head rail supporting unit comprising a plate having parallel edges adapted to flt into said channels respectively for mounting said head rail supporting unit in said hanger unit.

said brackets, a head rail supporting unit interchangeablycarried by said hanger unit, said hanger unit comprising a body plate having channels spaced equidistantly from and paralleling said axis at opposite sides respectively thereof, said head rail supporting unit comprising a plate having parallel edges adapted to flt into said channels respectively for mounting said head rail supporting unit in said hanger unit, and a horizontal flange on the plate of said head rail supporting unit disposed in unequally spaced relation to said edges to lie in vertically spaced relation to said axis.

4. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for right-and-left pairing with a second of said brackets, a head rail supporting unit interchangeably carried by said hanger unit, said hanger unit compming a body plate having channels spaced equidistantly from and paralleling said axis at opposite sides respectively thereof, said head rail supporting unit comprising a plate having parallel edges adapted to fit into said channels respectively for mounting said head rail supporting unit in said hanger unit, a horizontal flange on the plate of said head rail supporting unit disposed in unequally spaced relation to said edges to lie in vertically spaced relation to said axis, and a valance board supporting lever pivotally mounted on said hanger unit plate adjacent one edge thereof on said axis and adapted to be swung into a plane coinciding with said axis to afford clearance for installing said head rail.

5. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for right-and-left pairing with a second of said brackets, said unit comprising a body plate, a right-angle flange along a rear vertical edge of said plate, a parallel oilsetmarginal strip along its vertical front edge, inturned flanges forming channels along its opposite horizontal edges respectively and extending substantially from in front of said rear edge flange to the rear of said front edge offset strip, and means interchangeably applicable to said unit at either side of said axis for supporting one end of a Venetian blind head rail in vertically spaced relation to said axis.

6. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for rightand-left pairing with a second of said brackets, said unit comprising a body plate, a right-angle flange along a rear vertical edge of said plate, a parallel offset marginal strip along its vertical front edge, inturned flanges forming channels along its opposite horizontal edges respectively and extending substantially from in front of said rear edge flange to the rear of said front edge of!- set strip, a valance board supporting lever pivotally mounted on said offset marginal strip on said axis, and means interchangeably applicable to said unit at either side of said axis for supporting one end of a Venetian blind head rail in vertically spaced relation to said axis.

7. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for rightand-left pairing with a second of said brackets, said unit comprising a body plate, a right-angle flange along a rear vertical edge of said plate, a parallel oifset marginal strip along its vertical front edge, inturned flanges forming channels along its opposite horizontal edges respectively and extending substantially from in front of said rear edge flange to the rear of said front edge 05- set strip, a head rail supporting unit comprising a plate having opposite parallel horizontal edges adapted to fit into said channels, and a perpen' dicular flange unequally spaced from and lying parallel to said edgS for supporting a Venetian blind head rail in vertically spaced relation to said axis.

8. A single bracket for supporting either end of a Venetian blind, comprising a hanger unit symmetrically contoured at opposite sides respectively of a median horizontal axis thereof and adapted for inversion by rotation about said axis for right-and-left pairing with a second of said lbrackets, said unit comprising a body plate, a right-angle flange along a rear vertical edge of said plate, a parallel offset marginal strip along its vertical front edge, inturned flanges forming channels :along its opposite horizontal edges respectively and extending substantially from in front of said rear edge flange to the rear of said front edge offset strip, a head rail supporting unit comprising a plate having opposite parallel horizontal edges adapted to flt into said channels, and a perpendicular flange unequally spaced from and lying parallel to said edges for supporting a Venetian blind head rail in vertically spaced relation to said axis, said hanger unit plate having a series of holes in a vertical line adjacent said rear flange, and said head rail supporting unit plate having a corresponding series of holes adjacent each of its opposite edges either of which may register with the holes in said hanger unit plate for the purpose specified.

, WALTER J. STUBER.

JOHN J. DI IENNO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

